PKF launches kabaddi’s rare talent hunt programme

LAHORE: Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) has opted to adopt a logical way to launch a revolutionary kabaddi talent hunt programme and a campaign to promote the game of Asian style kabaddi among the young generation of country.

“PKF has decided to form a large pool of young but talented male and female kabaddi players to improve the title winning prospects in world kabaddi events,” National kabaddi team Manager Rai Masood Kharal told ‘The News’ in an exclusive chat on Monday.

He said that the basic objective of this campaign is to raise strong male and female national kabaddi outfits to meet the challenges of modern day kabaddi.

Masood Kharal said it’s need of the hour to launch this type of campaign if Pakistan wants to attain respectable place among world kabaddi community. “We are quite determined that after proper grooming at our professional training camps, we will be able to produce several world class male and female kabaddi players in the next one or two years,” he said in a confident tone.

Masood Kharal told: “The unprecedented talent hunt programme is being supervised by PKF Secretary General Rana Sarwar, Finance Secretary Kh Akhtar Abbas and myself”.

Elaborating the programme, Masood, who is also Joint Secretary of PKF, said it’s our target to select 100 potential girls and boys for year-long training camp after analyzing their particulars thoroughly.

Masood Kharal said that during the profile collection process, we found that Pakistan young generation has great amount of craze about the game of kabaddi. “Literally, we received enormous response from young kabaddi aspirants even from far-flung areas of the country”.

“It’s Pakistan kabaddi’s future-building campaign and we will say welcome to students of all the leading schools, colleges and universities of the country in this programme”.

Masood Kharal, who is serving Wapda as Deputy Director Commercial, said that the boys and girls with a good intelligence level and minimum age of 16 to 22 years and height of 5 ft, 8’ can apply for trials. “However, the minimum weight for boys will be 80 to 84kg and for girls 64 to 68kg to join this grand campaign”.

Revealing further details, Masood said: “We are planning to hire world class trainer for physical training of the camp trainees. Int’l level nutrition plan will be there for young kabaddi players under the supervision of top level doctors/nutritionists. However, we will rely on local elite coaches for technical training”.

“Our competent coaches will conduct three sessions daily. Our players will undergo physical training in the morning session, technical training through audio/video clips in the afternoon whereas competitive matches will be organized in the evening session to enhance the match fitness and playing skills of camp trainees,” he explained. To a query regarding the beginning of camp training, Masood Kharal, who also has managed Wapda and LESCO kabaddi teams, informed that after completing all the necessary formalities, the camp training is expected to start later this year.

PKF Secretary General Rana Sarwar, when contacted, told this scribe that this talent hunt programme is a great opportunity for young kabaddi players. “The boys and girls, who want to make a career in Asian style kabaddi, must avail this opportunity. This talent hunt campaign will provide a strong base to Pakistan kabaddi and we will have sufficient back-up strength for international events in near future,” he described.